Pipe-coupling.



PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905. vD. E. BROCKETT.

PIPE GOUPLIN G. APrLIoATIoN FILED um: 2.1994.

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face that engages a gum ringor gasket which No. realise.

- UNITED STATES Patented February 14, 1965.'

PATENT OEEIcE.

DAVID E. sRooKETT, oE EAST LIvEEPooI., OHIO. l I

PIPE-couPuNG."

SPECIFICATION y:formingpart of #Letters Patent No. 782,482, dated February 14, 1905.

I 'Application nea am 2,1904. saranno. 210,840.' l

T0 a/ZZ whom' it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. BRoCKET'I, a

l citizen of the United States, residing at East necting the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes;

and the object of the invention is to couple pipes 'easily and quicklyand in such manner as to hold them securely, prevent leakage, and relieve the coupling-bolts fromundue. strain fand to also provide means whereby should the joint be broken over, bent, or moved out Qf alinement the strain shall be taken 'by' a yielding member and the rigid parts of the coupling devices be relieved from strain.4

In carrying out my invention in the preferred way I provide a coupling-sleeve having bell-mouths at oppositey ends and into which the ends of the pipes to be coupled may be easily inserted. Within each bell is arranged a steelsplit ring that closes the bell at its inner end and having a tapered outer is pressed into engagement with the ring by a follower. The followers are formed with annular flanges, which are connected by couplingbolts, the arrangement being. such that when the lbolts are tightened` the followers press the gaskets against the rings, which in turn -are pressed against theinner inclined surfaces of the-bells. Preferably each gasket is formed `on its inner face with a small annular groove,

into which the tapered outer face of the springring projects, whereby the spreading of the gasket is facilitated, and each gasket is also, preferably, formed on its outer face opposite the groove with an annular rib, which greatly `promotes the spreading of the gasket at its inner portion, while preventing It from being misshaped at its outer portion; There is no packing between the inner faces of the split rings and the meeting ends of the pipes, and when the pipes with these couplings are used for conveying gases or other uids the 'pressure on the inner faces'of the rings is suchas to tend to force the rings outward againstthe gaskets and to cause the gaskets to spread laterally against the pipes and their couplingsleeve, thus tending to firmly hold them and lrelieve largely the strain `on the bolts.y The bores of the followers are larger than the pipes and are preferably tapered outward or iiared, so that should the pipesbend the springrings will be pressed against the sleeve, `while no strain is imparted to the followers.

vIn case of repairing old lines I prefer instead 4of using long bolts to connect the followers to form flanges on opposite ends of the coupling-sleeve and connect these flanges to the followers by means of short bolts.

Other features of myinvention and the details of construction will be hereinafter more particularly referred' to.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged detail view in section thereof.A

Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, but with the meeting ends of the pipes broken over. Fig.l 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a form of coupling for patching old lines. Fig. `5 shows, on an enlarged scale, an elevation of one of the split steel rings employed. Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the gaskets. Fig. 7 shows a modified form of Spring-ring.

The ends of the pipe-sectionsA arearranged a short distance apart and are inclosed within a coupling-sleeve B, the bo're of which is .slightly larger than the diameter of the pipes, v leaving asmall annular space a betweenthe coupling-sleeve and the pipes. By this construction the pipes can be easily and quickly inserted into the coupling-sleeve, whereas if they were made a close fit with the bore of the coupling-sleeve there would often be difficulty in assembling the parts. On its inner side midway between its ends the couplingsleeve is formed with a lug b, which acts as a gage to limit the endwise movement of the pipe-sections when theyare inserted and to cause their ,ends to meet midway between ,the ends of the coupling-sleeve. The couplingsleeve is formed-at each end with a bell-mouth C, which is preferably made straight at c` and tapered at o', as indicated most clearly. ifi-Fig.

, portions c of the bells.

2. Within each bell is arranged va split steel ring D and a rubber ring or gasket E. The ring D is formed with an annular tapered outer face d. and the gasket E is formed with an annular groove e onl its inner face opposite the tapered outer face al of the ring, as indicated in Fig. 2. Each gasket is also formed on its outer face opposite the groove c With an annular rib e'. The gaskets and rings are forced home into the bells by followers F. having annular inwardly-projecting anges f and annular outer iianges f', which are connected by clamping-bolts Gr.

When the pipe-sections and couplings are assembled, the parts will be in the position indicated in Fig. 2, in which position it will be observed that the rings D close the inner ends of the bells where they join the space af. If now the bolts be tightened, the followers will press the gaskets against the split rings, the tapered faces d of the rings entering the grooves e of thepgaskets, and as the followers are drawn in the gaskets will be spread against the side walls of the pipes and the couplingsleeve and the gaskets will enter the tapered When the followers are drawn inward to their full extent, the ribs `e' will be pressed-Hat, while the grooves e will be widened in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. The gaskets are ,made to'lit tightlythe walls of the coupling-sleeve and the pipes, and the bolts are thus relieved from considerable strain. If the ribs e' were omitted, the gaskets would not so efficiently spread and press against the coupling-sleeve and pipe-sections; but these ribs provide surplus material, which allows the gaskets to be spread by the rings D lin a manner properlyto cause a tight fit between the coupling-sleeve and pipes.

It will beobserved that there is no packing between the inner faces of the rings and the meeting ends of the pipes. Therefore when the pipes are used for conveying gases or other fluids under pressure therewill always be a pressure of -gas against the inner faces of the rings, which tends to press them into engagement with the gaskets. This I consider an important feature of my invention. Any tendency to leak results ina further compression of the gaskets and the tighterconnectionl thereof wit-hthe coupling-sleeve and pipes.

. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the openings 4in the followers which receive the pipes are tapered-or liared at f2, so that whenthe joint is broken over or tilted, as indicated, no lateral strain is exerted on the followers; but the resulting pressure is imparted to the split rings and the gaskets are further compressed.. I

In Fig. 4 I have shown a construction similar in all respects to. that beforedescribed, eX- cept that the coupling-sleeve is formed with annular anges B', which are oonnected'to the flanges ofthe followers by, short bolts Gr.

This form of coupling/is especially intended for use inV repairingold'lines where the coup- Jbells either while being .inserted or when pressed outward by the luidpressure. In Fig. 7 the ring Dis shown as having acurved or rounded outer face; but I prefer to make the outer face of the ring sharply inclined, as shown in other figures of the drawings.

I claim as my invention- 1. coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising .a coupling-sleeve formed at opposite ends with bells, expansible rings at the inner ends of the bells and whichv closely fit the bella-gaskets engaged by the outer faces of the rings and followers for forcing the gaskets against the rings.

' 2. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprisinga coupling-sleeve formed at its opposite ends with bells, expansible rings at the inner ends ofthe bells hav ing tapered outer faces, gaskets engaged by the tapered faces of the rings and followers for forcing the gaskets against the rings.

3. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a coupling-sleeve formed at its opposite ends with bells, rings at the inner ends of the bells having tapered outer faces, gaskets engaging the tapered faces of the rings and having annular grooves to receivethe tapered faces of the rings and means for forcing the gaskets against the rings.

4. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a coupling-sleeve formed at its opposite ends with bells. rings at the inner ends of the bells having tapered outer faces, gaskets engaging the tapered faces of theV rings having grooves to .receive the rings and ribs opposite the grooves and means for forcing the gaskets against the rings.

5. A pipe-coupling comprising a couplingsleeve, a ring having atapered outer face, a gasket having a groove on one side to receive the ring and a rib on the opposite side, and means engaging the ribbed side of the gasket and forcing it against the ring.

6. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a coupling-sleeve formed at its opposite ends with bells having tapered inner walls, split rings having tapered,

peripheries fitting the-tapered walls of the bells, grooved gaskets engaging the rings, and

vmeans for `forcing the gaskets against the rings. i

7. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a coupling-sleeve formed at opposite ends with bells having ta- IIO .pered inner walls, rings having tapered peripheries fitting the tapered walls of the bells, gaskets having grooves to receive the rings, andrihs opposite the grooves, and means for forcing the gaskets against the rings.

8. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a bellmouthed coupling-sleeve, an automatically-expanding ring within the bell, a grooved gasket engaging the ring, and a .follower for driving the gasket against the ring.

9. A coupling for' the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes, comprisingl a coupling-sleeve formed at opposite ends with bells, packing within the bells, and followers for pressing the packing home having openings to receive the pipe-sections, and walls which are tapered or flared for the purpose specified.

10. A coupling for the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes,comprising a bell-mouthed coupling-sleeve, an expansible ring arranged at the inner-end of the bell, a gasket engaging the ring, and a follower for pressing the gasket against the ring having a tapered bore for the purpose specified. f

11. A couplingfor the plain or unthreaded ends of pipes comprising a coupling-sleeve surrounding the meeting ends of the pipes having an annular unpacked space or chamber between it and the pipes and provided with bells at opposite ends of said chamber, expansible metallic rings arranged at the inner ends of the bells and closing the ends of said chamber, packing-rings or gaskets engaging the outer faces of the rings and means for forcing the packing against the rings.

12. A coupling for the unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a coupling-sleeve having bells at opposite ends, expansible,spring-rings at the inner ends of the bells having tapered outer faces engaging the inclined walls thereof, gaskets engaging the outer faces of the rings and means for forcing the gaskets against the rings.

13. A coupling for the unthreaded ends of pipes, comprising a bell-mouthed couplingsleeve, an automatically-adjustable springring at the inner end of the bell having a taf.

pered outer face, a gasket outside the ring and a follower for forcing the gasket against the ring. y

1.4. -A pipe coupling comprising a bellmouthed couplingsleeve fitted loosely on the meeting ends of the pipes, and having an annular. unpacked chamber between it and the pipes, means for closing this chamber at one end of the coupling-sleeve, an automaticallyadjustable split ring closing the opposite end of said chamber, a gasket engaging the outer face of the ring and a follower for forcing thel gasket home. A

In testimony whereofl have hereunto subscribed my name.

LLOYD B. WIGHT, K. H. FENNING. 

